


The Big Question

by MarioMisc



Category: Splatoon
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, Domestic Fluff, Drinking, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Focus on Pearl and Marina, Marriage Proposal, Pearlina
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-17
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2020-06-03 18:23:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19469578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarioMisc/pseuds/MarioMisc
Summary: Pearl makes plans to propose to Marina, but like all fics with angst something goes wrong and it makes me go iedoesdhuivadisocufiokgsxzd





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just gonna make it clear this is just a prologue. It's merely setup and only narration but AO3 doesn't let me separate prologues from the Chapter 1 title for whatever reason.  
> The lack of marriage-related fics for Pearlina is a big oof. I’ve seen very few media reference it so I decided to write my own fic based on the subject.  
> Another thing: make sure you look at the rating and warning. The angst is gonna be pretty dark this time around, but in this prologue it's not much.

It was 12am, and Pearl was wide awake on her bed. Though she was in her sleeping girlfriend’s comfy arms, with her head being right next to Marina’s neck, she was wide awake.

This night was one of the greatest nights Pearl had ever experienced in her entire life. She and her beloved girlfriend had been celebrating their third anniversary of dating, and Pearl had spoiled her rotten. All of the amazing presents Pearl had gotten Marina made her so happy, and seeing Marina like that was so adorable to Pearl. Meanwhile, Pearl had gotten great presents from Marina too. The absolute greatest one was the gift of her taking Pearl out on a nice, fancy dinner. It was followed by Marina taking her to watch the sunset together outside of their house, with Pearl being carried by Marina. Cod, her girlfriend became so affectionate when she was carrying her. She’d constantly stroke Pearl’s tentacles, kiss her head, and hug her tightly. And now, here they were, sleeping together in a cuddly manner. All of the events of this night had gone so well. Marina looked stunning in the dress she wore, and she was even more kind and affectionate than usual.

Even after Pearl’s feelings for Marina became romantic, her admiration and love for the Octarian continued to grow, and it went to a new level this night. With it, Pearl adopted a sudden, unignorable will. She had thoughts about marrying Marina for a while now, yet she had never thought about actually going through with planning a proposal. She lacked a will strong enough to change the status quo. They were happy with how they were at the time, and Pearl never really felt the need to change that. Their busy schedules only discouraged it. There was never a grand “push” towards it until this night. All of the amazing moments during her relationship consolidated into one delicious sundae, and this night was the whipped cream. She suddenly  _ really _ wanted to marry Marina.

Yet, the thoughts of  _ how _ she was going to prepare to propose kept Pearl up. She thought about which jewelry store Marina liked, where a great place to propose would be, what type of ring Marina would like best, and more.

Despite all of the excitement, now that Pearl was thinking of actually making plans, Pearl got worried about whether or not Marina was going to accept the proposal. Marina clearly adored her, and they had been together for years, and they’d only grown closer the longer they’d been together. However, was Marina truly ready? Pearl was unable to imagine the awkwardness of Marina rejecting her. She knew that when proposing that she was going to put a ton of passion into her remarks, and that she was going to choose a marvelous environment for the proposal to occur in. These were only going to make things more uncomfortable for any rejection, and Pearl feared the possibility of Marina accepting just because she couldn’t bring herself to reject her even if she truly did not want to marry. These thoughts scared Pearl.

Nonetheless, Pearl knew that this was going to always be the case for now on. They’ve been together for so long. Any amount of time had the possibility of not being long enough for Marina to be ready, but it was not uncommon for people to be engaged after three-or-so-years of dating. Also, if Pearl was being honest with herself, her urging feelings were pushing her more and more to act. She decided that she was going to get started with things tomorrow. She was a risk-taker after all, and this, to her, was certainly a risk worth taking.

Pearl and Marina ended up sleeping late, with Pearl waking up at noon and Marina waking up at around 10. Pearl announced that she was going to go grocery shopping after breakfast while the two were eating, which was very unusual for her. Pearl wasn’t lying - the house did need some new food - but she was also going to call her parents about her intent to marry Marina in her car once she got to the grocery store parking lot, and she was going to take the opportunity to shop for a ring.

Shortly after, Pearl got properly dressed and ready to head out. She said goodbye to Marina, gave her loving kisses, and with a bright smile, she left the house and drove off to the store.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm aiming for four chapters (if you count the prologue as a chapter) for this fic, but I cannot promise it will be that amount.  
> Also, The New Kid isn't dead. In fact, I started working on Chapter 6 the other day.  
> Anyways, as always, thanks for reading. I really appreciate it and I hope you enjoyed this little prologue.


	2. Preparations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That Final Fest dialogue was perfect iwojdiohauidchygy  
> Anyways, here's some gay cephalopods :)

With her car parked, Pearl walked out of her car with eagerness as she looked and saw the jewelry store in front of her car.

She had already called her parents and told them her plans. They were incredibly excited about the whole thing, and even offered to pay for the ring. Pearl declined, but she was happy that her parents were so supporting. They had recommended the store _Inkopolis Jewelry_ , which Pearl already knew was considered to be the best jewelry store in the city.

She walked in and saw people wearing very fancy attire. Many wore black suits and white dresses, as well as black shoes. Some of the men were wearing top hats too. Meanwhile, Pearl was wearing a casual pink shirt and teal leggings.

“Ah, it’s Pearl from Off the Hook!” A woman behind a desk said.

Pearl quickly waved to her, and then started browsing. Many of the rings looked absolutely beautiful, but Pearl knew exactly what ring she wanted to get for Marina- one that reminded her of the Octoling.

While many of the rings were good, Pearl couldn’t find one that seemed like it would be the absolute _best_ for Marina until she came across a beautiful golden ring with a teal diamond.

It was perfect. Marina screamed teal, and every time Pearl saw that color, an image of Marina’s breathtaking smile emerged in her head. The gold and diamond made Pearl think of how _deserving_ Marina was of this. She went through so much, and now she was full of fame she earned. Even with all of that fame, she remained a good-hearted, caring individual through it all.

Pearl blushed in such an obvious manner, but felt no shame. Her relationship with Marina was well known to the public, so she didn’t care if she showed off some affection towards her when others were able to see.

“Ah,” a man walked to Pearl, “I see you’re looking at our greatest possession, hm?”

“Yeah, how much does it cost?”

“Look over there,” he said, pointing at a fancy black piece of paper with golden text neatly placed to the left of the ring, “That shows the price and information.”

Pearl quickly looked and read the paper.

**_THE GRANDEST DIAMOND RING OF INKOPOLIS_ **

_The Grand Diamond Ring is a gorgeous ring made in Inkopolis using extremely rich gold and diamonds from underground, alongside stunning teal dye, resulting in one of the greatest rings known to the surface. Enjoy its golden and teal structure that will guarantee you the spouse of your dreams! This one ring in this store is the last of its kind. Right now, you can get it for $100,000!_

Pearl stepped back. “Holy shit… a hundred k…”

“Oh, actually! We’ve marked down the price to get someone to buy it! It’s only $75,000 today!”

Pearl thought about this. Her parents were rich, _very rich_ . This wasn’t even all that expensive for them. Considering her father gave her a whole bunch of his money when she moved out, she had a lot to spend. Add the money she made from Off the Hook, and at the time Pearl was _loaded_ . However, this was still _very_ expensive for her, and she wondered if it’d be worth it.

Pearl decided to look around more for a ring that had similar qualities to the previous one, but she didn’t find any.

Ultimately, she decided to buy it. It was absolutely worth it for Marina.

With a silly grin on her face, Pearl headed home. She didn’t feel any fear in proposing anymore. She merely felt confident and excited.

She decided that the best place to propose was going to be Mount Nantai.

“I’m home, Reena!” Pearl said, walking in with many bags in her hands, with the black ring box being hidden in one of them.

“Hi, sweetheart!” Marina yelled from the kitchen while washing dishes.

“I missed ya, babe. I dunno if I’ll be able to spend that much time apart from you ever again!” Pearl said as she walked to the kitchen and placed the groceries down.

Marina chuckled in response. “You’re hilarious, you know that?”

“Those announcements have done wonders, haven’t they?” Pearl said as she walked to Marina.

“They sure have- oh!” Marina felt Pearl wrap her arms around Marina’s torso and lean her head onto Marina’s upper back.

“Oh… Someone is extra affectionate today, aren’t they?” Marina said.

“I’ve been in a great mood, Reena! You know what that means?”

“I wonder…”

“It means I’m taking you to Mount Nantai later!”

“Oh, Pearlie, I’d love to go!” Pearl backed away a bit as Marina turned off the faucet, dried her hands, and then got to her knees and gave Pearl a huge hug. She proceeded to kiss Pearl’s left cheek repeatedly and strongly while the two blushed. 

“I love you… I’d do anything for you… _Anything._ ” Pearl whispered.

“I can’t be thankful enough for you, baby… You’re the greatest person on this planet. Really.”

“Me? You mean you, right?”

“No, I mean you!”

“You!”

“You!”

“You!”

“You!”

“You and IF YOU REBEL IMA GET THE KILLER WAIL AND YELL ‘I LOVE YOU’ THROUGH IT TOWARDS YA!”

Marina laughed. “Okay… point taken, love.” She pointed back to the sink. “Let me finish dishes, and then how about we head off to Mount Nantai?”

“Sounds cool! I’ll go put the groceries away!”

The two did their chores efficiently, and Pearl snuck the ring box into her pocket. Marina went up to Pearl with dried hands and asked, “Are you ready?”

“Fuck yeah! Lemme just get my shoes on, okay?”

“Okay! I’ll do the same!”

The two sat next to each other on a couch and did exactly that. With them about to leave to the place where Pearl was planning on _proposing_ to Marina, Pearl couldn’t help but feel an urge to absolutely _spoil_ Marina. She was just so _excited_ that this was finally going to happen that she couldn’t help herself.

Once Marina got her shoes on, Pearl couldn’t help but start tickling her stomach while she was still on the couch. Marina immediately started laughing, with her back moving towards the couch cushions behind her. Pearl just continued to tickle and kiss the left side of Marina’s face as Marina had a huge laughing fit.

After around a minute, Pearl decided to give Marina some mercy and time to calm down. After though, Marina suddenly picked up Pearl and brought their heads to the same height. She brought Pearl close to her face, with Pearl being held onto her neck and Marina using her arms to keep her as close as she was, as they were against Pearl’s back. The two went into a deep kiss… for a few seconds. Marina then suddenly removed her left arm and used her left hand to tickle Pearl’s belly. This caused the kiss to break, but endless laughter for Pearl and joy from seeing her girlfriend like this for Marina. It was so funny to them, seeing the other start crazily laughing due to tickles.

After that, Pearl and Marina finally headed out to the mountain. Pearl know that it was going to be a great night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to Pinkink for getting me to write a segment based on tickling between these two gays.  
> Anyways, there's going to be fluff next chapter. Plenty of fluff! However, it's also when the angst is going to start. I've already written Chapter 3's angst, meaning that the chapter should come out soon!  
> With that said, I really appreciate y'all for reading and commenting and kudosing (ima just pretend that's a word) my work. Really, I do appreciate it.


	3. Mount Nantai

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to another edition of Misc doesn't know how to title his fics!  
> Oh, and here's a buncha fluff and angst. Each takes up a good portion of the chapter, but uh, the angst is like intense so make sure you look at the rating and Archive Warning.  
> Yeah I know this is a pretty shitty time to write an angst fic, let alone one of this intensity, but I wrote and planned much of the angst for this chapter before I realized Pearlina was basically confirmed and I really don't wanna halt the story for the people who are still willing to read angst during this time.

The two girls made it to Mount Nantai and settled on a bench near a portable toilet and a cell tower. The two sat down and relaxed, enjoying the breeze and the peaceful atmosphere. They were all alone. The animal noises were distant and the only close noises were the sounds of the wind. The sky showed off a stunningly dark shade of blue.

Pearl wanted to propose, but decided to wait, with her not wanting to overwhelm Marina when they had just settled. Maybe a kiss was going to be better for the moment.

Pearl turned to her partner to see her smiling, taking the gorgeous environment in. “Yo, Reena?”

Her girlfriend looked to her left towards Pearl. “Yes, love?”

Pearl blushed deeply upon seeing her face looking at her. She immediately grabbed the sides of Marina’s face and leaned in for a passionate kiss on the lips. Marina embraced the action, hugging Pearl and bringing her closer to her. Marina used her left hand to stroke her love’s back as Pearl deepened her kiss. The Inkling soon after released, remembering that they were in public and  _ probably  _ shouldn’t get too into a kiss.

Meanwhile, her girlfriend was laughing. “What was that for? Aren’t we supposed to be focusing on the environment?”

“Eh… fuck the environment! You’re prettier! And y’know what? You’re prettier than me, too!  _ You _ , my love,  _ you _ , are the star!”

Marina laughed as her blush deepened. “What? No I’m not! Are we really going to go over this again?”

“Don’t deny it, Reena! I thought you’d understand how beautiful you are by now!”

“Ah, don’t be like that! We both know you’re the prettier one.”

“Take that back!”

“Hehehe… I don’t think so.”

“You… You… butt! Your words are offensive!!”

“How is saying you’re prettier than me offensive?”

“Because it’s impossible and that impossibleness offends me!  _ Nothing _ can be prettier than you! You’re have top-tier beauty!”

“I’m just saying the truth, Pearl!”

“Oh, are you? Want to know another thing that’s true? I have a Killer Wail and-”

“Okay, okay, fine. I will… respect your opinion, my lady.”

Pearl laughed and then hugged Marina’s body. Marina tightened the hug and kissed the top of Pearl’s tentacles. Meanwhile, Pearl was resting her head on its left side right on Marina’s left shoulder. The two had gigantic grins and dark blushes.

“Alright babe, I’ll be right back,” Marina said as she gently guided Pearl off her and began to stand up, “Sorry, but I’ve gotta use the lady’s room.”

“Alright, sweetheart!” Pearl said as Marina ran to the portable toilet around forty feet behind them.

With that, Pearl decided to take a look at the ring she got for Marina again. She did not want to get caught with the ring, so she decided that she must take just a  _ quick _ look.

It was definitely worth it. The teal coloring looked even more gorgeous in the light of the sun, even if the peek was brief. Pearl's blush only continued to darken. She couldn’t help but think about Marina, and how gorgeous her teal eyes were and how well they contrasted with her dark skin.

“OWWWW!” Pearl yelled as she felt a sudden burn on her left cheek, causing her to flinch and to close her eyes. Using her reflexes, she closed the box containing the ring and hugged it to her chest. Her eyes opened to the sight of an Inkling man of about average height who was wearing a ski mask and a black shirt and pants that covered most of his body, while also wearing black shoes.

He was right in front of Pearl.

And to her absolute shock, he suddenly took out a knife, pointed it at her, and calmly said, “Give me the ring.”

Pearl, with tears beginning to flow from her eyes, hugged the box tighter and desperately said, “M-M-Mister, please! That ring is VERY special! It was the last of its kind! I-I-I’ll give you ANYTHING else!”

“You think anything would be worth trading? No! I saw you buy that  _ insanely  _ valuable ring and figured you’d propose here. I had the will to camp for  _ however _ long I needed to get the chance to steal it! Heh heh, maybe you shouldn’t reveal all your personal info to the world.

Pearl whimpered.

“Listen, I’m not a wuss. I WILL KILL for that ring… Which would you rather choose, your life or some stupid obje-”

“Leave her alone!” Pearl looked to her right and saw Marina, clearly  _ pissed _ , standing a few feet away from the robber, looking down upon him.

“You don’t intimidate me, Octo...” he said while looking at Marina. “Just go! Your stubborn companion here is about to choose her LIFE over an OBJECT!”

Marina took a few steps closer to the robber, keeping eye contact. “Did I not make myself clear?” Marina said with a harsh, low voice. “Leave. Her. Alone. I  _ will _ fight you if you don’t leave right now.”

The robber merely laughed mockingly and looked back at Pearl. “LAST CHANCE! Life or ring?” Pearl merely whimpered again in response.

“THAT’S  _ ENOUGH!! _ ” Marina punched the robber’s face, sending him backwards, but he did not lose his balance, nor did he lose his knife. The two had intense faces on, staring each other down. “I don’t  _ want  _ to fight you…” Marina stated. “But we  _ both _ know that I  _ will _ if you make me…”

The robber did not give a direct response. Rather, he ran towards Marina with a yell, and with that, the two went at it. To the left side of Pearl, they exchanged punches, kicks, and even chokeholds. Not to mention the many times the robber attempted to cut Marina, yet Marina’s dodging skills kept her staying strong.

Meanwhile, Pearl was only in shock. Everything was happening so fast… she went from unashamedly expressing her love for Marina, to viewing the ring that she was going to  _ propose _ to her girlfriend with… a ring that was the last of its kind… to witnessing her girlfriend fighting a dude with a  _ knife _ just to protect her… Pearl simply take it in.

Suddenly, a loud, painful screech emerged in the air, one with a feminine voice from the left side of Pearl. Reluctantly, she looked to her left, and saw the worst thing she had ever seen in her life. There, the smiling robber was digging his knife into Marina’s belly, as Marina only cried louder. The Octolings watched as the knife penetrated her in sheer terror. Pearl jumped out of her seat and ran to the right side of the two, yelling to the robber, “Stop! Stop!  _ STOP _ !! I’ll give you the ring!” He let go of the knife, but it hung out of Marina’s body. Pearl nearly vomited. As quickly as she could, Pearl handed the ring box to the robber. After checking to make sure the ring was in there, he sprinted away.

Meanwhile, Marina was merely whimpering and heavily breathing as she started to lean against a cell tower pole on her left side, with her eyes half-open. Pearl immediately turned to Marina after seeing the robber run off, now fully crying. She ran to the front of her, and then said, “Oh, Marina, why did you do that?! I… I’m calling an ambulance!” Pearl began taking out her phone.

“N-N-N-N-No…” Marina muttered, “Call… police… instead…”

“Marina,” Pearl said as she began dialing the emergency phone number, “He’s gone.”

Marina only responded by releasing a lone tear from her left eye.

“Ma’am,” Pearl yelled, “Please! Get to Mount Nantai at the end of Inkling Drive and take a left near the portable toilet ASAP! My girlfriend got stabbed by a robber!”

Pearl listened to the reply, assuring her people were coming.. “Okay, thank you so much!” After hanging up, Pearl immediately ran to Marina. “Sweetie, why did you do that? C’mon, let’s lie you down…” Marina, still having her eyes only half-open and still leaning against a pole, did not budge in response to Pearl trying to guide her body down.

“I…” Marina said slowly, “I was only fulfilling… my purpose… to fight and to struggle...”

“Marina,” Pearl said with a sudden, new burst of tears, “I’m sorry! I should have just given him the ring and-”

“ _ No _ ,” Marina said as firmly as she could roughly, “He… had no right to take ring…” Her voice choked with sadness. “No matter where I go, I can’t find peace… This  _ is _ my purpose...”

“Marina… no… I’m so sorry, baby…” Pearl sobbed. That was all she felt she was able to do.

“Don’t be… I was trained for this… I’m meant to deal with these things…”

“N-N-N-N-No…” Pearl sobbed again.

Suddenly, Marina gripped the knife in her stomach with her left hand and violently pulled it out, letting out a painful cry.

“MARINA! I DON’T THINK YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO DO THAT!” Pearl yelled in absolute shock.

When she got a glimpse of the wound, she once again almost puked. It was full of teal ink bleeding heavily down Marina’s body.

Marina, now sinking her legs and body to the floor, growled, “I’m… fine…” With the knife in her hand, she clumsily released it onto the ground to the left of her, smiling slightly once it hit the ground.

Pearl ran up to Marina and tried to comfort her by petting her tentacles. She kissed her forehead as well, and asked, “Why? Why did you risk your life over the ring?” “Where I grew up,” Marina slowly explained, “I learned to fight for… what I believed… was right. It had different connotations back in Octo society… but I kept the general idea here.”

“It was a ring, Marina. A ring…”

“I couldn’t allow that robber to succeed. I  _ had _ to do what I could for you because… I just want justice and I care so much for you…”

“I… I can’t apologize enough… I should’ve given it to him while you were still gone…”

“You were… shocked, Pearl. For almost whole time. It’s alright.”

Pearl softly replied, “Thank you… for everything, Marina. Everything…”

“No… problem…” Marina stated, “Just… one question.”

“Yes, love?”

“What was ring for?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I hope you enjoyed whatever that was.  
> Also, this fic is in no way gonna be done in four chapters. I'm predicting five or six but I'm gonna just leave it as ? for now.


	4. Drinking with Sorrow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plz don’t yell at me Americans Callie and Marie are 21 here soehejekwlwl-

Pearl never got a chance to answer that question. She bursted into tears, causing Marina to start to silently and weakly cry too. Pearl knelt and hugged Marina. The two silently cried together until the ambulance arrived.

—

An alarm rang. Pearl woke up from her bed and checked the time: 6:00am. Her eyes half-open, she tiredly said, “Good mornin’, Reena,” while turning to the side where Marina was usually on the bed.

But she was gone.

Tears filled Pearl’s eyes as she recalled the events of yesterday. She remembered the stabbing and her conversation with Marina afterwards. How that day instantly transitioned from an excellent, beautiful day with her beloved girlfriend to one of utter turmoil  _ killed _ Pearl inside.

She remembered the ambulance rushing Marina to the hospital, with Pearl attempting to keep Marina as comfortable as possible in the vehicle. She remembered the doctor giving her the devastating news that Marina was in critical condition. She remembered being told to exit the room and go home so the workers can focus on Marina. She remembered her devastating goodbye. Marina was hardly conscious; she had gotten super tired as the pain continued, but there was still great emotion between them.

The news had to have been made public by now as she had received hundreds of replies on social media pledging support for her and Marina, as well as a whole bunch of text messages from friends and family.

She decided that she had to talk about this to someone. After giving thanks for the condolences on social media and from the friends and family who gave them, Pearl decided to text Callie and Marie.

Pearl: Hang out at local bar. 10am. Someone drive me.

Callie: Okay, Pearl. I’ve got you. Will pick you up at quarter to 10.

Marie: Will come with.

The bar didn’t open till 10, which is why Pearl had to set plans for later. She wasn’t sure how to spend the next four hours. The overlying feeling of absolute dread distracted her from any hunger. She just wanted to spit out all of her feelings and get drunk later down the line.

Talking with Callie and Marie was going to help… but not nearly as much as necessary. She liked the Squid Sisters, but they were nothing compared to the love of her life in terms of comforting her during bad times.

Pearl remembered Marina’s touch… her soft, smooth skin and her sweet voice. Marina used to hug Pearl tightly, kiss her, just give her so much affection, especially when Pearl was down. Pearl, for all these years, always had someone so wonderful and so understanding to talk to, but not anymore.

Pearl felt vulnerable. Marina was critically injured trying to protect  _ her _ . Marina could’ve given him the ring, but she  _ fought  _ him instead, just for Pearl, just for the small Inkling she had so much love for. 

Was it absolutely unnecessary? Certainly, and it could ruin  _ everything _ . Cod, Pearl hoped that if Marina got better, she would learn to not take her life for granted as much. Nonetheless, this just showed how intimidating Marina was able to be. Her girlfriend knew this as well. Before Marina, attempts to rob Pearl and her family happened rather often. One time, however, Marina was there, and she kicked the robber’s ass  _ hard _ … albeit he didn’t have a knife or anything out. Yet, word later came of how surprisingly strong Marina was, and Pearl and her family from then on were not robbed nearly as often. Some people are more confident than others though...

Pearl couldn’t help but feel guilty too. If only she wasn’t shocked, if only she gave up that ring… Marina would have found it incredibly cowardly, but that’s better than  _ this! _

Though Marina had the ability to be incredibly tough, Pearl knew she was a huge, affectionate dork from the inside. A girl left scarred from military service as a child, yet one who hardly took out her frustration on anybody. Marina had outbursts- any normal person with internal strife does- but Marina was predominantly just a nice, caring person who wanted to live a normal life. Pearl has no issues with Marina’s more fearsome side- none of it was her fault, and she couldn’t help but admire Marina’s strength emotionally and physically, yet she absolutely adored Marina’s softer side. Pearl loved Marina for who she was, flaws and all. They’ve been together romantically for two years now, and have been bandmates for four. This couldn’t end this way. It couldn’t. 

—

“How was your morning?” Callie asked while driving.

“What do you think?” Pearl muttered.

“I… I’m really sorry, Pearl. Really, I am praying for Marina to recover.”

“Your prayers don’t mean shit. Shut up and take me to the bar.”

Callie nodded with a frown.

—

“I’m lost. I feel… empty.” Pearl admitted while slouching.

“That’s… not uncommon when dealing with a loss.” Marie said.

“You say that like she’s dead.” Pearl barked as she stared sitting taller. “She… she might be soon,” Pearl’s voice cracked and got louder, “But not yet!”

People in the bar started giving them looks.

“Okay, okay… Pearl, please calm down.” Marie said calmly.

“Watch your fuckin wording.”

The Squid Sisters only sighed. 

The bartender walked up to them with some drinks. “Your orders are ready.” He served Pearl a beer glass, and Callie and Marie a wine glass each.

Pearl started slouching again.

“Marina would hate me like this… I’m sorry guys.”

“It’s fine! We understand you’re going through a hard time!” Callie said alongside a nod from Marie.

“I don’t… I don’t know what to do. I can’t go on without her if she dies… and not knowing whether or not she  _ will  _ die makes everything worse...” Pearl’s eyes got teary and her voice shook. “It’s like everything is out of balance. Marina brought peace to me. She brought joy to me. She brought love to me. If those vanish, what do I have? Nothing. If Marina dies, Pearl dies with her.”

“Pearl, you… please calm down… this is all a part of life. I assure you that everything will be okay. You’ll get through this! Life has its difficulties but you will triumph.” Marie said.

“This… This is just the worst… I’m not naive. I can’t trust your assurance...”

“You had spent 19 years without Marina. Trust me, even if  _ by the slim chance  _ Marina does die, this won’t be the end. You  _ will _ be able to move on,” Marie responded.

“You just…” A few tears poured down from Pearl’s eyes. “You just don’t understand. My life was fine before Marina, but Marina permanently altered it. I  _ cannot _ go back.” Pearl slammed the table. “ _ I spelt this out for you! _ ” The small Inkling sat up and a large gulp of beer before slouching again. “Maybe this was a mistake.”

Marie sighed, “Alright, I see. Look, Callie and I will try to help you in any way we can.”

“Yeah, please Pearl. Say whatever you need. This wasn’t a mistake. Trust us!”

After another gulp of beer, Pearl begrudgingly said, “ _ Fine.  _ It’s just… Marina made me life complete. Not to mention I don’t have a chance of any solo career. Marina is what keeps me and the band together. Without her, I’m  _ nothing _ . I’m a mediocre rapper who gets assistance from a gorgeous cephalopod to become better. Once your true love is taken away from you, you become broken. If Marina is permanently taken away from me, I  _ will  _ become broken.”

“I… I understand what your feeling. Grief is a very tough thing, especially towards one’s true love. Still, you shouldn’t be so tough on yourself. You’re not a mediocre rapper! You’re great!” Callie said.

“Shut up. Don’t give me that bluff.”

“It’s true!” Marie said, “People don’t just like Off the Hook for Marina. Have you seen the internet, Pearl?”

“Yeah. Everybody is lusting over my girlfriend and commenting on how beautiful her singing voice is.”

Callie responded, “You’re looking in the wrong places! Trust me,  _ plenty  _ of people love you! Here, I’ll show you some pos-”

“Just… don’t bother. I’ll take your word for it, Callie. Thank you.” With that said, Pearl took yet another gulp of beer until the glass was empty.

“Yo, bartender!” she yelled, “Another beer please!”

“Just… don’t get drunk or else we won’t be able to help you.” Marie commented.

“I’m getting drunk whether you like it or not! There’s multiple ways to cope.”

“Alright, just let us drive you.” Marie said.

“Yeah, I know,” Pearl said as she took her refilled glass. “Thank you.”

After taking a gulp, she said, “Oh! I somehow forgot to mention this. Did you know that I was gonna propose to her and it was my  _ motherfucking _ ring that got stolen?!”

“Cod, Pearl… I’m so sorry. That must be terrible!” Callie said.

“Yeah, I can’t imagine how that feels.” Marie said.

“Last of its kind. Spent a  _ shit ton  _ of money on it. Asshole assumed I was gonna propose at Mount Nantai after seeing me with it. Marina… my  _ love _ fought that son of a bitch and took her fucking life for granted. I was too in shock to just fucking hand over the thing. I fucked up, and if she dies, the burden is on  _ ME _ .” she said with another slam. “So, if you’d let me get drunk today I’d sincerely appreciate that, thank you.” She took another gulp of beer.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. I’m sure Marina understood.” Marie responded.

“Oh, she did. She told me that it was fine and it was all understandable, but it’s still a failure of mine. She fought the guy while he had a  _ knife _ in his hand. She acted based on her view on how important justice and righteousness is that she got from back down in Octo-land. We were both just foolish… Marina was overconfident and I was just a hopeless and cowardly little shit, but neither of us deserve to die out of this.”

“Look, we all make mistakes but this scenario is nobody’s fault but the robber’s. If he hadn’t arrived, none of this would’ve happened.” Marie said.

“Ugh️, y’know what? This ain’t helping all that much. I appreciate the effort but lemme just get drunk.”

“But what about getting home?” Callie asked.

“I’ll  _ walk _ . It’s what I deserve anyways. Good day.” Pearl once again drank her beer. “Yo, bartender! More please!”

“I… I don’t trust that, Pearl. We’ll stick around until your done, okay?” Callie said.

Pearl sighed. “Fuck this. Nevermind!” She stood up, took out some money and put it on the table, and headed outwards.

“Pearl!” Callie exclaimed, “Let me drive you back!”

“Fine,” Pearl begrudgingly said.

Callie attempted to strike up some dialogue, but Pearl stayed silent. Awkwardness was in the air throughout the whole ride.

“Hey, please text a friend or family member if you need to talk. You understand?” Callie yelled with her head out the car window as Pearl approached her door.

“I got it. Thank you!”

Pearl unlocked the door and barged into her home. She sloppily took off her shoes and ran the fridge.

There it was. A large bottle of beer.

“What the hell was I thinkin? Not realizing I had this shit at home… This is all I need.”

She took off the cap and started drinking from the bottle itself rather than pouring herself a cup. She sluggishly walked into her and Marina’s room and for the rest of the day, she drank. Just to get the thoughts and worries away. Just to clear her mind.

She was an absolute fucking mess. She spilled beer on the bed and on her clothes many times but she didn’t care. She constantly changed positions with the bottle in her hand, causing it to shake and even more to spill. She’d lie down but then immediately sit up to get a drink. Eventually, she just stopped caring entirely and drank while laying down, letting a lot of it get on her face. She just didn’t give a shit about anything anymore. Pearl wasn’t sure what else to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp  
> Plz leave a comment telling any thoughts, and plz leave a kudos if you enjoyed! I really appreciate all the hits and feedback.  
> Updates are at @Mario_Misc on Twitter.  
> ADDITIONALLY: I’d like you all to know I’m in this pretty neat Pearlina Discord server and some more members would be great! Here’s the invite code: https://discord.gg/kUAubFV


	5. The Result

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is technically the last chapter, but there will be an epilogue. Enjoy.

Days passed and all Pearl had really done was sit in her room, eat the occasional small meal, and get drunk over the constant anxiety she faced. But today was going to be different. Pearl woke up and expected the same routine but she got a call from the hospital.

Marina was… going to be okay.

She had surgery and stitches and the bleeding had stopped, but the whole ordeal really took a toll on her, and she was really tired and weak. However, the hospital was letting Pearl see her love… her girlfriend…

She jumped for joy from the news, with tears forming in her eyes. Marina was  _ going to be okay. _ She was going to be  _ just fine.  _ Her girlfriend… her breathtaking, loving girlfriend, was not going to be taken from her permanently.

Pearl wept. She wept because she knew that everything was going to be okay, but also because of just how painful this whole process was- mentally for Pearl and physically and likely mentally too for Marina. Nonetheless, it was all going to end soon. 

Pearl longed to see Marina’s stunning face… the most gorgeous thing on this planet to her. She longed to cuddle with her love, longed to kiss her, longed to hear her beautiful voice…

She knew that some things were going to be possible later than others, but she didn’t care. Just knowing that yes, she was going to be able to embrace her girlfriend and just… enjoy her again, was enough.

—

Pearl walked into the room to see the workers walking out and only Marina, with her drop-dead gorgeous eyes half-open. It was a surreal sight. Marina’s eyes shot wide open upon seeing Pearl. “Pearlie… is that… is that you?” she said with a tired and shy voice.

“Yes, baby. Yes it is.” Pearl said excitedly as she slowly walked towards the Octoling.

“I’m going to be okay…”

“I know, sweetie. I know.” Pearl went and caressed Marina’s forehead and kissed it. “You’re… so pretty…”

“I…” Tears began forming in Marina’s eyes, “I fucked up… Why… Why don’t you hate me? I… I deserve it…”

“Sweetheart, no… no no no…” Pearl said calmly with a lowered voice. “You were acting out of selflessness. That’s admirable. You were… overconfident but that’s okay. Just don’t take your life for granted like that again.”

A tearful Marina responded, “I was… overconfident. I thought I was able to beat him, but he was the one with the knife. I was foolish… and that act was anything but selfless. I didn’t think about what could possibly happen to  _ you  _ if I died because… I just didn’t think that death was a possibility. I did take my life for granted… and I must’ve tormented you because of it.”

“I… I did get a lot of anxiety but don’t worry about it anymore. You acted because you weren’t going to stand for him treating me that way. You thought about  _ me _ , and you acted out of your love for  _ me _ . Baby, that’s selfless. You might’ve not thought about any negative consequences but that wasn’t selfish of you. It was just… ignorant… but… I’m not mad at you because you acted purely out of care for me. You’re a wonderful person. You just need to be more careful.”

Marina’s eyes teared up even more. “Just… leave me… I’m a terrible girlfriend…”

“Marina-”

“What kind of girlfriend is so ignorant that she gives her love severe anxiety and puts her own life in danger? I love you irresponsibly and that’s not right. I… I love you  _ too  _ much… and that almost led to both of our downfalls…”

“Marina, I understand why you’re upset… but we all make mistakes, and you know what, you leaving me for this would just make things a whole lot worse. You aren’t telling me to leave because you want me to leave. You’re telling me to leave because you think I’d live a better life with somebody else but that can’t be any further from the truth. Marina… that ring… I was going to propose to you that night and I still  _ want  _ to greatly. You’re just the most gorgeous and caring person I know and nobody can replace you.”

“Pearlie, there’s plenty of people in this world who are better than me. People who didn’t work for someone who hated people like you for years… I can’t marry you… I shouldn’t even be your girlfriend still.”

“Marina,  _ please _ believe me. I… I’d break if you left me. You’re not perfect but nobody is. You’re still the greatest person I know. Remember that this is  _ my  _ fault too. I was too shocked to act. If I just gave the ring to the robber, none of this would’ve happened. I’m surprised that you don’t at all seem mad at  _ me _ .”

“Because your case was understandable.”

“Yours was too, baby. You wanted to make things right for someone you loved dearly. That motivation is completely understandable. Motivation is a powerful thing. Please, baby, think about what I’m saying and what’s been happening. I care for you. I’m thinking straight when I say that  _ nobody can replace you. Nobody. _ I wasn’t anxious just because a possible death wouldn't have happened if I had just given the ring. It was also because there was a possibility that I could’ve lost the love of my life. Think about that. Babe, please…”

Marina looked upwards and went silent.. Pearl worriedly waited for a response. Finally, after many minutes, she looked back at Pearl.

“Pearlie…” Marina said with more tears forming in her eyes. “you forgive me?”

“Of course I do, gorgeous.”

Marina smiled. “I will…”

“You will…” Pearl couldn’t help but smile in anticipation.

Marina brought her hands out towards Pearl for her to take.

“I will marry you.”

Pearl’s smile grew as her face turned red. More tears spilled from both of their eyes. Pearl climbed onto the bed and rested next to Marina. The two bodies faced each other as the two held hands. Then, Pearl scooched forward and hugged Marina.

The two laid there for a few quiet moments. 

Pearl was overjoyed. Marina wasn’t thinking wrong anymore. She wasn’t going to die. They were going to get  _ married _ . Everything was going to be just fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UwU  
> Epilogue will be fluff peeps (there’ll actually be some angst but the epilogue will be longer than the average chapter for this fic to compensate.)  
> Please leave feedback if you have any! Thank you!  
> For writing updates and Pearlina shitposts, check out my Twitter: @Mario_Misc.  
> Also here’s a great Pearlina-themed Discord server: https://discord.gg/kUAubFV  
> (P.S. if you want to friend me on Discord, my ID is MarioMisc#2064)  
> Thanks for reading!


	6. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi I’m not ded lol  
> This went through a bit of a change of plans, so it’s not 100% fluff, but it is longer than the average chapter of this story to compensate. Hope y’all like it!

Pearl was in absolute shock.

Marina was fighting a stranger. A strange with a knife while Marina only had her fists and a height advantage.

Pearl was frozen, looking away from the fighting. Why was Marina putting her life on the line? She had told Pearl that Marina liked making things right and loved justice, but this? The robber was stealing a ring that Pearl was going to use to propose to Marina. Pearl gave the ring to the robber but Marina didn’t let him get away, tackling him to the ground instead.

Then, things took a turn.

Pearl heard a loud, terrifying screech and suddenly looked to see what had happened and her heart dropped.

The smiling robber’s knife was penetrating Marina’s belly. He went deeper until it completely cut through her body, teal ink splashing everywhere.

Pearl screamed with tears forming in her eyes and ran towards the robber. “ _ STOP! PLEASE! OH MY COD, MARINA NO! _ ”

The robber looked at Pearl briefly, his smile growing, and then quickly took the knife out of Marina’s body and stabbed her again, right above the original wound.

“ _ STOP IT! STOP! _ ” Pearl pushed the robber before the knife went through the body again. “ _ GET AWAY! PLEASE! _ ” The robber ran and Marina fell to the ground. “ _ Baby,  _ no no no…” Pearl knelt down towards Marina’s body and caressed the left side of her face. “Sweetheart, are you-” Marina was breathing unevenly with a weak, tired expression as her torso was full of spilling teal ink.

“I have to call the hospital!”

“ _ Don’t! _ ” Marina said weakly. “I-I-I-I…” Tears began forming on Marina’s eyes. “I’m n-n-not going t-t-to mak-k-k-ke it, Pearlie…”

“Marina, no, you’re going to!”

“Look at… all ink… I know how much is fatal. I-I-I don’t have enough time…”

“Baby, no…  _ no… _ ” Pearl’s face was full of tears.

“I l-l-l-love you, baby… I l-l-l-love you, so so much… You’re s-s-so adorable and caring a-a-and entertaining and just… so wonderful.

“Babe… I love you too… I wanted to marry you. He stole the ring I was going to use to propose!”

“I… I… I would’ve said yes…”

“You would’ve?” More tears began forming.

“Y-Y-Yes, of course, you d-d-dork.” Marina smiled weakly. “I’m so… sorry… for being stupid…”

“Don’t worry about it. This was his fault only. Please, just… know that I love you. I love you more than anything and nobody can replace you. Our love can never die… I… You can’t die! You can’t!” Pearl cried.

“Pearl, you can’t stop this… I’m sorry…” Marina cried.

“Sweetheart,  _ don’t go! Please! I can’t survive on my own! _ ”

“Pearl.. please… don’t let this destroy you… you can’t stay attached…”

“You’ll be okay, Marina. You’ll be  _ just fine _ .”

Marina’s expression suddenly changed to absolute fear as she noticed the amount of teal spilling. She looked back at Pearl and shakily said, “I don’t… I don’t wanna die, Pearlie…”

Suddenly, her tentacles stopped moving and her head rolled back. Her body felt… lifeless. Pearl, panicked, checked to see if she was breathing but… she wasn’t.

“No…” Pearl muttered under her breath. Marina wasn’t dead. She couldn’t be.

“No…” she said louder. She felt her skin again. It felt lifeless. She checked for breathing again. None. Her eyes… even they lacked life.

Marina was dead.

Pearl stared at her face in disbelief, and she cried. As the tears flowed, she went and kissed Marina’s forehead. “I’m sorry…” she muttered.

She realized many things.

Marina was gone. No more of cuddling with the larger body she loved so much. No more of that perfect voice that made Pearl’s days. No more of that sweet and loving personality. No more of the kissing that Pearl and Marina always adored doing. No more playing video games together. No more snuggling while watching movies together. No more singing together. No more songwriting together. No more sleeping in the same bed together.

Marina was gone for good. She was only 20, and she only had four years of a good life.

Pearl couldn’t believe it. This girl that she had cherished for so long was gone just like that. Within the span of a few minutes on the night she was going to  _ propose _ to her.

They were supposed to spend their whole lives together. They were supposed to continue their careers. They were supposed to be happy and live in harmony. But that was not possible anymore.

“No…”

Suddenly, Pearl snapped, “ _ Marina, baby, you’re not dead! You can’t be! _ ” Pearl lifted Marina’s head up and checked for breathing yet again.

Nothing.

“My love… Marina…” Pearl said shakily. She carefully lowered Marina’s head down and stood up. 

There was ink on most of Marina’s torso. Her shirt was awfully damp.

Her gorgeous dark skin had no liveliness anymore, just like the rest of her body.

Pearl couldn’t take it anymore. She let out a loud yell and fainted right on the spot.

—

“AH!  _ AAHHH!! _ ” Pearl yelled in bed, waking up her girlfriend next to her.

“Baby, what’s wrong? Everything okay?”

Pearl erratically turned to the direction of that voice and her eyes widened. She immediately hugged the Octoling, with her head resting right below her neck, and gently, she said, “ _ Oh, Marina…  _ you’re… you’re alive!” She whimpered as tears began forming on her eyes. “I had a terrifying nightmare…”

Marina hugged back. “Was it about…”

Her muffled voice continued, “Yes… I’m just… so glad things ended up okay. I… I can’t lose you, baby. You’re… You’re just so special to me. I love  _ everything  _ about you… I love  _ you! _ ” Pearl cried into Marina’s shirt.

“I love you too, sweetheart. I… I always regret what I did that day…”

“It’s fine… It’s fine… It was the robber, not you.” Pearl tightened her grip on Marina as she continued to cry. “I missed you so much when you were gone… Goddammit, I wanna marry you already… I just want to embrace you so fuckin much… We can’t take what we have for granted…”

“I know, thank you baby… You know I adore embracing you…” Marina laid a brief peck on Pearl’s top tentacles. “The wedding is tomorrow, remember?”

“Oh… Oh,  _ it is!  _ I love you… I love you… I love you… I’m sorry I’m getting your shirt all wet, heh heh…”

“It’s all fine, Pearlie…”

“I just… I just wanna cuddle against your body and feel comfy and safe… and kiss you… and hear your breathtaking voice… and indulge in your care… I  _ love you! _ ”

“You’re so shameless,” Marina laughed.

“Thank you… for being with me, Marina…”

“No, Pearl… Thank you for being with  _ me _ .”

“I can’t say it enough… I  _ love  _ you… I love you so fucking much… I… I just wanna stay like this forever. Never let go, please?”

“Well, Pearl, I’ll have to make you get off me eventually…”

“You’re not the boss of me!! Heh… just… promise me we’ll never leave each other’s sides long-term? You know what I mean, right?”

Marina chuckled. “Of course I do… I’ll never leave you. Never… I’ve… I’ve learned since then. Nothing like that'll ever happen again.”

Pearl moved her head back. The two looked at each other’s faces. “You promise?”

“Of course, baby. I regret what I did everyday.” A lone tear left Marina’s right eye.

“Oh, sweetheart…” Pearl’s eyes got teary. “Don’t cry.”

“It’s just…” Marina’s eyes were fully teary now. “I… I’m getting married to the love of my life tomorrow and it’s so difficult for me to handle it. I… I feel like I don’t deserve it but at the same time there’s an enormous desire to go through with it, for you and for my own happiness.”

Pearl responded, “Marina… my gorgeous girlfriend… you deserve  _ every _ ounce of happiness that you get. We all fuck up but your most major ones weren’t your fault. Your self-doubt… it isn’t healthy.”

“I… I know Pearl… I know…” Marina suddenly started softly sobbing. More tears came out from her eyes.

Pearl calmly said, ”Marina… why are you crying?” She had a concerned expression.

“I… I don’t know…” Marina struggled to say. “Just… everything I guess…”

“Baby, be proud of yourself. You’ve gone so far. We’ve gone so far. The biggest day of our lives is fast approaching.”

“I just… feel a whole mix of emotions. I… feel nervous. I feel happy. I feel excited. I feel guilty. I feel proud.”

“You stomped on your past. It’s done with. Current Marina is a near-perfect person. Current Marina is the most breathtaking, caring person with the perfect amount of additional sass. Current Marina is such a wonderful girlfriend. Current Marina has a phenomenal singing career and engineering ambitions. Current Marina is… the most dearest thing on this planet to me. No, the whole universe.”

“Current Marina almost got herself f-f-foolishly killed…”

“Current Marina is selfless.”

“I… I still feel so much guilt. You just… had a nightmare.”

“It’s okay, Marina. Please… all that matters is that you’re here now and that you’ll improve.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m more than sure, my love.”

Following a sniffle, Marina leaned down and kissed Pearl’s forehead. “You’re beautiful,” she said affectionately. “And so supportive. Cod, I can’t wait for tomorrow…” More tears spilled, this time coming from both girls.

The two girls tightened their grips on each other and merely cuddled, listening to each other’s breaths as tears rolled down their faces. Pearl dug her head back into Marina’s torso and Marina’s head went to sit on Pearl’s tentacles.

—

There she was. Pearl’s love, who was wearing an elegant white dress that just… looked so stunning on her… She had a beaming smile on her, the largest Pearl had ever seen on her. Pearl didn’t even try to hide her blush as she walked towards her bride. Today was  _ meant _ to represent just how much love Pearl and Marina had for one another. Fears of embarrassment be damned.

The two ladies, despite the gorgeous setting and large amount of well-dressed people, never took their eyes off each other as Pearl walked.

Soon enough, Pearl finally made it near Marina. Her towering presence didn’t stop the two from continuing to lock eyes, even as Pearl began walking towards the stool that she was going to need to stand on to formally kiss Marina’s lips.

Pearl swore she spotted tears in Marina’s eyes.

—-

The girls were so close now…

Pearl couldn’t help but constantly inch closer to Marina on her stool. The actions didn’t go unnoticed by Marina, who, under her breath, muttered, “Darling…” with a chuckle.

The time for the confirming kiss was fast approaching…

Pearl felt Marina’s breaths against her forehead. They were uneven, but the amazing smile on Marina’s face let Pearl know that they weren’t for any bad reasons.

Pearl somehow felt Marina become more gorgeous by the second… her pretty white dress, her stunningly green eyes, her wonderful dark skin… It all contrasted so well into a breathtaking combination…

Pearl’s entire face was red but she didn’t care. She just couldn’t wait to be able to kiss this wonderful woman in such a passionate manner…

—

“The brides may kiss!”

And with that, the space between the two girls closed instantly. The two girls eagerly met lips, bringing themselves into a deep kiss. They grabbed each other’s faces with all of their hands and caressed the back of each other's necks. The audience was clapping crazily. There was so much hype behind this one moment.

Both their faces were bright red. The two let their pure love for each other take them over. This was it. It was official. Pearl was  _ married  _ to Marina. Pearl was married to the  _ love of her life _ , the prettiest girl Pearl had ever laid her eyes upon.

—

There they were, back in bed, exhausted, yet so full of energy at the same time.

They had spent the afterparty kissing, eating, and dancing by each other. They were never apart. And now, they were even closer than before.

Marina still couldn’t comprehend that she was a  _ married woman _ … a woman married to her favorite person in the entire world.

She’d stare down at her wedding ring, and she still wouldn’t understand it… what it meant… how it showed how far Marina had gone… It was all so unbelievable.

“This…” Marina said with a sniffle, “This is amazing…”

“Amazing? What do ya mean amazing? It’s way better than that!” Pearl said with a beaming smile in Marina’s long, comfy arms, with her head leaning against Marina’s chest. 

Marina was carrying Pearl on their bed, with the girls looking at each other with those loving expressions… the ones put on when people just deeply admired them each other so much...

“We’re  _ married _ , sweetheart! I  _ still  _ can’t believe it!” Pearl said.

“Married… our lives… spent… together…”

“Yes, you and me, sharing our lives so long as we are walking on this earth…”

“This is… last stage?”

“Well, we still gotta go on our honeymoon, but… this? This status?  _ Hell  _ yeah it is! We made it!  _ You _ made it!”

“We...” Marina said with another sniffle, “I guess we did… make it…” Her voice cracked. Pearl noticed that Marina’s eyes seemed to be getting wetter. “I… I just can’t believe it…”

“Believe it or not, it’s true. Everything is. You won. You met your true love… You work with her on this amazing job… You have  _ countless  _ amounts of fans… You. Made. It. And you, in the process, have filled  _ my  _ life with… indescribable joy. I can’t put it into words, baby… Everytime I just  _ see _ you, I feel better than I did before. You’re such an amazing and thoughtful girlfri-  _ no _ …  _ WIFE… _ I  _ love  _ you… so so much…” And with that, Pearl couldn’t help but bring Marina into a passionate lip-to-lip kiss. She pulled down her wife’s face, caressing its sides as Marina strengthened her grip on her Inkling wife’s small body, 

When the kids ended, Pearl noticed that Marina was crying. A lot. Her face was covered in tears, but she was smiling, and her eyes were simply filled with delight.

“P-P-P-P-Pearlie…” She said gently. “You just melted my hearts…”

“Must mean I’m doing the job well, eh?”

“You… You can’t just go on a compliment rampage like that…” Marina chuckled as more tears appeared, “That… That should be illegal…”

“Well I don’t think it is so, sorry gorgeous, you’re gonna have to deal with my comments.”

“My…  _ wife…  _ we  _ are  _ married… We  _ did  _ make it… I love you so much…”

“I love you too, my love…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanna say thank you to all the folk who have supported my stories, including this one! All feedback and hits are greatly appreciated!  
> I’m workin on a new AU and will eventually get back to The New Kid, but with school, my writing may become a bit less frequent. Hope you all understand and stick around. Thanks!


End file.
